Three
by Keoku
Summary: Lantis muses on the two loves of his life. LxExH


~~~~~~~~~~~~~ three  
  
a rayearth one-shot  
  
Written by Keoku (keoku@hotmail.com)  
  
Lantis closed the apartment door quietly behind him. He paused momentarily, his hand still on the brass knob, listening to the subtle click of the lock sliding back into place. It was the only noise in the otherwise silent hallway, and it took a moment for his ears to adjust to the sudden isolation of sound. Likewise, his eyes blurred against the abrupt intrusion of darkness. Outside, there was always light creeping into shadow - even during the dead of night - the piercing overtones of neon splashed against pavement, the hallowed illumination of street lamps spilling over sidewalks. It had taken Lantis a long time to grow use to that: the pulse of Earth that never slept, the restless hours kept by this city called Tokyo.  
  
He smiled.  
  
Different than Cephiro, perhaps - but as Hikaru had once told him - they really were the same; especially now that his world had been removed from the support of the Pillar and its fate had been placed in the hands of its people. There were days when Lantis closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his own breathing, and he knew then that Earth really /was/ Cephiro. Millennia had passed in swift succession, the magic had been leached from its soil... but these were the hallmarks of time, subtle differences that made no difference at all. Distance, it seemed, played no part in the separation of worlds. They were just a heartbeat away.  
  
Moving through the rooms, restless, Lantis shed his overcoat and his hat. Earth garments. Hikaru had picked them out for them with the cheerful forethought she put into everything. And he was pleased with the results, just as she must have been pleased when Clef produced her battle armour so long ago. Lantis, however, did not care about the clothes themselves so much as he cared about the shield they gave him. It was surprising how such a little touch provided complete anonymity. When he walked through the streets, he was just another person in the crowd: his dark figuring fading into the mono chromatic background.  
  
Disappearing.  
  
He could not do that in Cephiro. No matter where he went, people knew him. He was Lantis, Zagatou's brother. The /destroyer's/ brother, and worst of all: consort to /them/.  
  
It was amazing that people could place their bitterness solely on the shoulders of two people. Even more amazing that they simply didn't get it. Did they not realize the full implications of Free Will? That they're anger would destroy them, just as it had destroyed Earth time and again? Didn't they realize that no matter how hard times got, the world would always rebuild itself? No, perhaps not. But Lantis could not blame them for their ignorance: they were only mortals, after all.  
  
Winding down, he finally came to the place that he'd been working towards. Lantis had stepped out less than an hour ago, but it seemed so very, very long since he'd last lain down. He did not turn on the lights when he went into his bedroom - he didn't want to disturb Hikaru and Eagle. Anyway, he didn't need a light to see by. His magic was enough. He could feel things, sense the lines of reality around him and picture things as they were in his mind's eye. He reached out that slight will and let it brush against the sleepers. They responded with a subconscious smile, an aural glow - a 'welcome home'.  
  
Lantis did not bother removing the rest of his clothes. He felt weighed down by a sudden weariness, intermingled with a deep happiness. He was where he belonged, he knew - and any self-doubt or uncertainty was erased by that single truth. He made his way to the bed and carefully crawled between the warmth of Hikaru and Eagle. They parted, murmuring half-aware assents, and then repositioned themselves against him. The red-haired waif on his left, arm thrown over his shoulder and a smile on her lips; the blond on his right, mouth opened slightly as his breath moved in and out. Lantis let himself rest in between them: two halves to his whole.  
  
His smile returned as he gave himself up to the embrace of sleep. It was impossible to be unhappy here, he thought. He'd been lost for so long, and yet he had no regrets. He knew that he'd made the right decision in the end.  
  
His heart belonged to them both.  
  
They were his world.  
  
~~~  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
This ficlet was inspired by a recent chapter of Cassandra Claire's "Draco Trilogy", that described the dynamics between Hermione, Draco, and Harry. For some reason, they reminded me of Lantis, Eagle, and Hikaru, and this short piece was born. 


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